


Let it hurt, then let it go.

by lydiamxrtin



Series: RNM week 2020 [2]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex is rightly angry that Max tried to kill Flint, Hurt/Comfort, Kyle and Alex bonding, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:33:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27369598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lydiamxrtin/pseuds/lydiamxrtin
Summary: Roswell New Mexico Week 2020 - Day 2 • Prompt: “I don't owe you an explanation"Weeks after Crashcon, Alex and Max finally discuss what happened to Flint and Kyle tries to comfort Alex when he worries about his brothers future.
Relationships: Forrest Long/Alex Manes
Series: RNM week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1997782
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37





	Let it hurt, then let it go.

**Author's Note:**

> Day two!
> 
> So for day two, I wrote something I've thought about a lot but have never found the right context to work it in, then I saw this prompt and it was perfect!
> 
> I *really* hope in s3 we see Alex's reaction to Max's actions but incase we don't here's a little fic about it featuring Kyle and Alex bff's and Forlex, hope you enjoy!
> 
> -AJ

Alex was slumped back in the rigid hospital chair, his head resting on the back of the seat. Alex closed his eyes for a moment, hoping if he opened them he could be back in his bed and all this would be some dreadful nightmare. Alex slowly peeled open his eyes; the sterile white roof of the hospital greeted him. Alex sighed, pulling his head down to look at the body lying in bed.

Flint was hooked up to more machines than Alex could count. He was breathing on his own now, and Kyle said his heart rate had steadied. Yet he still looked pale, his body unmoving in the bed for hours at a time. There was a knock on the hospital door, Alex swivelled his head to see Max hanging around in the doorway, a timid smile on his face. "Hey," He quietly said. Alex nodded at him, and Max stepped further into the room, hovering at the foot of Flint's bed. "How's he doin'?" He asked, nodding his head towards Flint.

"He's alive," Alex said, noting how clipped his tone was. Alex hadn't seen Max since the night of Crashcon and was convinced that he had been avoiding him, which he was right to do. "Thanks to Kyle," Alex finished, keeping his eyes on the bed. He watched as Flint's hand twitched, curling and uncurling. Alex wondered if Flint could hear the conversation in the room, could hear Max's voice. Alex sat forward in his seat, "You should probably go, I don't know what he'll do if he wakes up and sees you here," Alex said. Alex and Kyle had been the only people Flint had seen in the few instances he'd been awake if Flint saw the guy that had almost killed him, Alex was sure it wouldn't end pretty.

Max took a step back from the bed, shoving his hands into his pocket, "I don't think he can hurt me-"

"I'm not worried about him hurting you," Alex snapped, "I'm worried about him hurting himself," Alex corrected. If Flint saw Max, he would probably assume that he was here to finish the job he had started at Crashcon and Flint would do anything to prevent that, his army training kicking in.

Max sighed, "Alex..." He held his mouth open for a moment before closing it, clearly thinking over his words. "...I was just trying to protect my family," He quietly said. Alex closed his eyes shut, taking some steadying breaths. He knew he and Max were going to have to have this conversation at some point, but he didn't think it would be today. "He was going to kill them, kill Michael," Max emphasised Michael's name, clearly trying to appeal to Alex's very well known affection for his brother, "I-I didn't have a choice," He finished, coming to walk over to Alex's seat.

Alex thought about his words for a moment. "Neither did he," Alex said, looking up at Max.

Max frowned, shaking his head with confusion, "What?" He asked, but before Alex could continue Max continued, "I know he's your brother, but he chose to do this-"

Alex pushed himself up off the chair, standing in front of Max, his head cocked to the side, "He was brainwashed by our father, made to hate aliens, he didn't have a chose in that," Alex explained. 

Max sighed, looking off to the side, "You had the same father, yet you've never tried to kill us," Max tried to deflect. 

"It's different," Alex said. Max didn't understand, none of them knew what they went through at home, what they were subjected to. Alex and his father had issues that were more profound than the aliens, issues that Alex could never look past. But, Flint had a different childhood, and even though the brothers all lived together, they each had a different experience and different coping methods.

"Flint and our mom were really close, and after she left Flint couldn't lose another parent so choose to look past what our father was," Alex use to condemn Flint for siding with their father, never understanding why. After years of reflecting, Alex finally began to understand, it was easy to ignore their father's flaws than to push him away, after all, he was all the boys had left. Plus, the other boys had seen what would happen if they displeased their father, Jesse making an example of Alex regularly.

Max held his hands out in front of him, his brows pulled together, "He kidnapped you, locked you in a basement and forced Michael to build an alien killing bomb," Max gave a small scoff, "How can you forgive him-"

Alex stepped forward, his head cocked to the side, "You know what," He started, his voice harsh, "I don't owe you an explanation, Max," Max looked surprised at Alex's sharp tone, taking a step back, "What Flint did was wrong but..." Alex paused, trying to gather his emotions, "You didn't try to  _ kill  _ him to save your family, you did it to punish him, to get revenge," Alex part yelled, "You could have knocked him out, but  _ you  _ decided to almost killing yourself to punish him, so don't tell me this was about protecting anyone," Alex breathed hard, like weeks of anger and stressed had finally become too much.

Max gave a slight nod. Alex reached up and nubbed the back of his neck, slumping back down in his chair, "You should go," Alex breathed.

"Alex-" Max started, but Alex cut him off.

"I'll talk to you guys tomorrow," Alex said, holding Max's eye line. Max looked like he was going to argue, but instead, he just nodded, stepping back. Max took a finale look at Flint, and for a moment, Alex saw a flash of guilt go across his face. Max left, leaving Alex alone in the empty room with his brother's unmoving body and his thoughts.

Alex's eyes were shut, his head resting on the palm of his hand, his elbow leaning on the arm of the chair. He heard someone come into the room but kept his eyes shut, knowing it must be some sort of nurse, "You should go home, get some rest," Kyle said.

Alex peeled open his eyes. Kyle was stood in front of Alex, a hospital chart clutched to his chest. "I'm alright," Alex said, clearing his throat.

"He's fine, I've got it covered," Kyle smiled, going over to check Flint's vitals, "Shower, eat, see your boyfriend," Kyle called over. Alex gave a weak smile, Forrest had come in the day before to sit with Alex, the pair had had lunch together. The day almost felt normal, besides Alex's unconscious brother lying in the room. 

"I'm seeing him tomorrow," Alex said with a smile. The smile only lasted a few moments until the reality of the situation settled over him. He watched as Kyle jotted down some notes, carefully watching his brothers face.

"Do you really think he'll turn out like my father?" Alex asked like the thought had escaped his mind and jumped out of his mind. Kyle stopped what he was doing, flicking the file shut, and walking over to Alex. "Do you think he's past saving," He asked, his eyes never leaving Flint.

Kyle sat down next to Alex, leaning forward on his knees, "Something happen?" He asked, a concerned look on his face.

"Max came by and started talking about what Flint did..." Alex trailed off, knowing Kyle would understand what he meant. He looked over and saw the flash and anger across Kyle's face. Kyle shared Alex's disapproval at Max's actions. "He was going to kill them," Alex softly said, "Max, Isobel...Michael," Alex said, his voice catching as he said Michael's name. Even though the two were just friends, Michael still held a special place in Alex's heart. "Even Rosa and Maria, he didn't care," Alex dejectedly said. 

Kyle frowned, "I thought you said you wouldn't let him turn into your father," Kyle asked.

"Yeah," Alex breathed, "But there was also a point where I thought I could...change my father," Alex admitted to Kyle, "And look how that turned out," Alex tried to joke, but neither man laughed.

Kyle went quiet for a moment before sitting up further in his chair, his hands clasped in front of him, "Flint might not be my favourite person but," Kyle looked over at him, then back over at Alex, "He grew up with your dad, I couldn't imagine that was easy," He said.

"So you think he can change," Alex asked, honestly himself unsure.

Kyle stood up from the chair, "I think if anyone can help him," pausing before placing his hand on Alex's shoulder, "It's you," he smiled. Kyle gave a finale squeeze before heading out of the room. 

Alex stood up from his chair, walking over to his brother and sitting down in the seat next to his bed. Alex knew deep down that his brother was a good person, he had seen it when they were kids. Jesse's abuse and torture had warp each of his children, sometimes Alex didn't even recognise himself. 

But Jesse was gone now, his bigoted ways and hatred could no longer influence anyone else. 

Alex gave a small smile, "I know you're a good person Flint," Alex whispered, "And we're going to get through this," He declared.

When Jesse had been dying, he had said there were no Manes men left, but he was wrong.

Alex, Flint, Greg and Clay were left, and they would undo the damage that Jesse had done to that name, and be the Manes men that Tripp had tried to be. 

Alex settled back into his chair, his body feeling less rigid this time, his eyes heavy. Alex noticed someone hovering in the doorway again, Alex opened his eyes even more to see it was Forrest.

Alex smiled, "What are you doing here," He asked. 

Forrest walked in and grabbed the chair Alex had previously been sat in, pulling it over to where Alex was now, "Thought I'd drop in, see how you were doing," He smiled, sitting down next to Alex. 

"Tired," Alex admitted, he couldn't remember the last time he had slept in his own bed for more than a few hours.

Forrest reached out and brushed a piece of hair from Alex's head, before sinking back into his own chair, reaching over and grabbing something from his bad, passing it over to Alex. "I know its pointless to try and ask you to go home to rest and eat, so I brought you some food," He smiled.

Alex looked at the food in the container in front of him, placing on the table next to him, reaching over and taking Forrest's hand, "Thank you," He said. Alex moved his chair closer and rested his head on Forrest's shoulder, he felt Forrest wrap his arm around Alex's shoulders.

Alex still hadn't quite forgiven Max for his actions, part of him wasn't sure he would be able to. Alex was still worried about Flint, Kyle had said he should heal, and without Jesse, Alex was confident he could bring back the kind and protective Flint Alex had known as a child. 

But that could all wait for now, at the moment, Alex just wanted to rest next to his boyfriend, taking a moment to savour the peace that had overcome them.


End file.
